1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of streaming media, and more particularly to an improved method of and system for routing streaming media that minimizes network bandwidth requirements between routers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Streaming media has become a popular means of providing content over the Internet. Examples of streaming media include Internet radio and television. Internet radio is similar to broadcast radio in that it is provided in real time to whomever may be listening. Internet radio differs from broadcast radio in how it is transmitted to listeners. In broadcast radio, a signal is transmitted “over the air” and listeners may access the broadcast signal by tuning their radio receivers to the frequency of the transmitter. In Internet radio, a media server packetizes the content stream and transmits the packets addressed to clients that have requested the content. Since Internet radio is provided in real time, the server or servers transmit each packet to each requesting client at substantially the same time. The clients assemble the packets into the content stream to which their respective users may listen.
The Internet is a mesh of interconnected routers. Each router has a routing table that it uses to determine to which next router it should send a packet in order for the packet to reach its destination. Each packet has a header that contains ISO/OSI Network Model Layer information. Currently, routers use Layer 3 (Network Layer) information to determine how to route packets.
Streaming media can consume tremendous amounts of network bandwidth. Thousands of people all over the world may be listening to an Internet radio program. The streaming media server transmits, at about the same time, thousands of copies of each packet. The packets may travel to their destinations over many different paths. However, thousands of copies of a packet may often travel at the same time between the same pair of routers, thereby consuming bandwidth.